


Losing Spiders and Other Date Ideas

by FBGM



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pet Store, M/M, One Shot, boyfs, pet store au, spiders (but not detailed descriptions)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-06
Updated: 2019-07-06
Packaged: 2020-06-22 09:56:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19665073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FBGM/pseuds/FBGM
Summary: Jeremy makes the cute pet store employee show him their spiders but one gets out





	Losing Spiders and Other Date Ideas

The bell tinkled as Jeremy entered the pet store. It was pretty empty. In fact, besides the bored looking cashier, Jeremy thought he might be the only person in the store.

He turned to ask the cashier a question but his words caught in his throat when he was faced with arguably the most attractive boy he’d ever seen. He had warm brown eyes and soft brown hair and his jawline…

The boy looked up, smiling politely.

“Welcome to PetStop.”

“Um, spiders!” Jeremy said and then mentally slammed his head onto the counter.

The boy lifted an eyebrow, an amused smile on his face that was unfairly attractive. “Sorry?”

“I’m here to look at spiders.” Jeremy tried again. “Like tarantulas specifically.”

“Oh!” The boy walked out from behind the register and waved for Jeremy to follow him. “Right over here.”

They stopped before a shelf with five terrariums. The worker looked into one and then shivered.

“I hate spiders.” He straightened up. “Anyway, my name’s Michael if you need anything else.”

“Michael.” Jeremy repeated without thinking. Michael stopped and waited. “Um. Can I hold one?”

Michael looked at him and then over his shoulder.

“Technically,” He dragged the word out. “No. But!” He added quickly when Jeremy’s face fell. “I’m the only one on the clock right now so, sure.”

He slid one of the terrariums off the shelf and removed the lid.

“Okay so there’s two in here. They’re harmless.” He still leaned away when Jeremy eagerly stuck his hand in and picked one up.

“Wow.” He let the spider crawl across his hands. He felt Michael’s eyes on him but tried not to look up. He knew it would only make his already red cheeks even darker.

“Can I ask your name since I’m breaking store policy for you?” Michael asked as Jeremy returned the spider to it’s tank and pointed to another one.

“Jeremy.” He said picking up another spider. Michael recoiled.

“How can you just let them crawl on you?” He shivered.

“They’re cool!” Jeremy laughed. “Try it.”

“They are not and that is absolutely not going to happen.”

Jeremy shrugged and put the second spider back.

Michael ended up opening all five tanks, one at a time, with only slight persuading from Jeremy.

Finally, Jeremy had seen all of the spiders and Michael slid the last tank back onto the shelf. Jeremy was peering into a nearby lizard tank when he heard a strange sort of choking noise.

“Jeremy…” Michael was staring at one of the tarantula terrariums.

“Huh?”

“Weren’t there… two spiders in this tank?”

“The first one? Yeah why?”

Jeremy turned around and looked at the tank Michael was pointing at. There were two spiders in that tank. Or at least, there had been. Now, there was very clearly only one.

“Shit.” Jeremy muttered. “You lost it?”

“ _You_ lost it!” Michael cried.

“ _What?_ You’re the one who-”

“Look,” Michael cut him off. “It doesn’t matter who lost it. _Please_ hep me find it. I will so get fired if I don’t.”

“Okay. Okay. Fine.” Jeremy nodded, eyes already scanning the floor and shelves.

They walked carefully through the surrounding aisles. Every few seconds Michael would scream and then sigh loudly when he realized that whatever he had just brushed was not a spider. Jeremy laughed every time.

“Hey.” He touched Michael’s arm, making him scream and jump forward. Jeremy snickered. “Calm down you baby. It’s not on that side I don’t think.”

“This was so stupid.” He shifted a crate with the end of a broom. “I’m not even supposed to let customers touch the spiders.”

“Yeah, you’ve mentioned that.” Jeremy glanced at him. “So, why did you?”

“Because you’re really cute and I wanted you to stay longer.” Michael slowly leaned around a corner and scanned the floor still holding the broom like a spear.

Jeremy stopped in his tracks. “Wait, really?”

Michael turned to him, exasperated. “We don’t have time to talk about my gay panic right now Jeremy!” He turned back to the search.

“Right. Sorry.” Jeremy followed behind him, checking the opposite side of the shelves. But he couldn’t help the grin that tugged at his lips.

A few minutes later Michael yelled again.

“Stop screaming, would you?” Jeremy called from the next row over.

“Jeremy!” Michael’s voice was a few octaves higher than it was a second ago. Jeremy hurried over to him. He was pointing the broom end at something. Jeremy walked over and glanced around.

“What am I looking at?” Jeremy frowned.

“Jeremy.” Michael repeated, shoving the broom toward him. Then Jeremy saw it.

A big black spider, crawling slowly up the broom handle toward a wide eyed and terrified Michael. Jeremy laughed. Michael glared at him.

“I got it.” Jeremy gently grabbed the spider and Michael immediately dropped the broom and shuddered violently.

They returned the spider to it’s tank and made sure the rest were all accounted for before Michael made his way back to the register.

“Soooo,” Jeremy leaned on the counter. “About that whole gay panic thing.”

Michael flushed and cleared his throat. “Thank you so much for helping me.”

“It’s no big deal.” Jeremy rolled his eyes at the poor attempt at changing the subject.

“I mean it kinda is.” Michael insisted. “You saved my job. I owe you one.”

“Hmm. I guess you do.” Jeremy smiled.

“I can get you 50% off any dog toy.”

“I don’t have a dog.”

“Shit.” Michael frowned.

“How about, you buy me lunch tomorrow and we’ll call it even?” Jeremy held out his phone.

Michael stared at him for a minute before taking the phone and entering his number.

“Just so we’re clear,” Michael said, following him to the door. “Should I be gay panicking about this or is this strictly a business deal?”

Jeremy laughed and then, before he could lose his nerve, he leaned over and kissed Michael quickly on the cheek.

“I’ll let you decide.” And then he strolled out of the store with like someone with 10 times more confidence than he actually had.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> Follow/talk to me on tumblr @ michaelmellonn


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